Spin stabilized projectile with self-destructive capability



June 17, 1969 HSKORSK. ETAL 3,450,047

-DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITY SPIN STABILIZED PROJECTILE WITH SELF Sheet Filed Nov. 8, 1967 QN mm INVENTORS JOHN PISKORSKI EVERETT M. MYERS 7 J,

ATTO EYS J. PISKORSKI ET AL 3,450,047

SPIN STABILIZED PROJECTILE WITH SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITY June 17, 1969 Sheet & of 2 Filed NOV. 8; 1967 mm mm mm /m A MN Z l 1/ A MN .m on m. w 3 QN y w/ N N w R m ME S Rm B m E fiz w N EDIT. MR V E O NR W A wE I O v o o nw fi O C I/ O O I o a o o United States Patent Patented June 17, 1969 the pin 22 between its flange 21 and sleeve flange 28. ,047 Spring 31 has suflicient energy to normally urge sleeve SPIN STABILIZED PROJECTILE WITH SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITY John Piskorski and Everett M. Myers, Independence, Mo.,

assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Nov. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 681,963 Int. Cl. F42c 1/04, /26

US. Cl. 102-71 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spin stabilized projectile with a controlled self-destructive capability has a fuze structure which contains a firing pin that is cocked in response to a set-back rforce. Wedges in response to centrifugal force are moved out of the operative path of the firing pin in a predeterminedly safe manner by use of a controlling piston retarding arrangement.

The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without any payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a projectile and, more particularly, to a spin stabilized projectile having the capability of self-destruction.

Heretofore, prior self-destruction projectile fuze arrangements have included an explosive train and ignition or detonating means therefor that rendered the projectile unsafe for use in situations where friendly personnel in adjacent positions would become vulnerable or endangered thereby.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved spin stabilized projectile with a controlled self-destruction capability.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a projectile which is reliable and satisfactorily overcomes the aforementioned safety hazard.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an unarmed projectile fuze embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the fuze in an armed condition.

The spin stabilized projectile fuze shown generally at 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided with a booster charge of explosive 11 juxtapositioned a lesser detonating charge 12 (FIG. 2) that is positioned within a rotor element 13 rearwardly of ignition mix train means 14, 15 and an appropriate primer 16 offset from the central longitudinal rotor axis. The rotor 13 is rotatably biased by centrifugal force induced by projectile spin and has forward slots 17 by which it is normally held in a pre-set latched or locked condition by a mating lug portion 18 on at least one of a plurality of wedge members or blocks 19, 19 that are radially slida'ble outwardly in appropriate groove means (not shown) within the fuze.

The forward face 20 of the wedge means '19, 19 is normally in the rearward path of the laterally extending radial flange 21 on firing pin 22 whose forward end portion flange 28 forwardly against nose cap 24 and pin flange 21 rearwardly against Wedge means 19, 19 and upon setback, the spring 31 is compressed (FIG. 2) to cock or load the pin 22 for rearward primer striking motion after the primer has moved to an aligned position and predetermined controlled radial movement of the wedges 19, 19 to release the firing pin flange 21.

The rearward, inclined camming surface 32 on each wedge 19 is tapered inwardly from its outer portion that initially contacts the forward noses of each of two solid cylindrical pistons 33 slidably mounted in appropriate bores 34 formed in the rotor-carrying body 35. Body 35 has a pair of radially extending exhaust ports 36 communicating with the rearmost portion of bores 34 that contain a predetermined amount of piston retarding means or glass beads 37. The ports 36 terminate in a correspond ing concave surface portion 38 of a peripheral groove extending a major distance around the base portion of body 35 and normally seating a C-shaped spring 39 .to seal ports 36 and maintain a predetermined pressure by the piston retarding means. 37 upon the abutting surface of piston 33.

As the projectile is launched, its acceleration caused setback force moves sleeve 27 to its spring compressing locked position and dislodges (FIG. 2) C-spring 39 from groove means 38, enabling the piston retarding means 37 to slowly escape out orifice means 36 into a suitably provided annular space 40 while it controls the rearward movement of piston 33 now being cammed by wedges 19, '19 which are under the influence of centrifugal force within the spinning projectile.

When rearward piston movement has been sutficient to enable wedges 19 to move radially a suflicient distance such that wedge lug 18 is withdrawn from rotor slot 17, the rotor aligns the primer 16 (FIG. 2) with the firing pin to thus arm the weapon. The arming delay is such as to assure a predetermined distance of projectile travel as a pre-requisite to arming whereby adjacent friendly personnel may not be subjected to an otherwise hazardous explosive.

Further radial movement of the wedges 19 to a point where they no longer restrain the firing pin flange 21 will enable the energy stored firing pin 22 to strike the primer 16 for ignition of the detonation train.

After arming but before self destruction of the projectile, its point-detonating functioning would occur where the nose cap 24 were crushed by impact with a target and, with the flange 21 sheared off, the firing pin 22 were driven into the detonator.

We claim:

1. In a spin stabilized projectile having a fuze with a destructive booster charge and a detonator therefor:

a firing pin longitudinally aligned with and for striking said detonator when said detonator is in an armed position,

a spring biasing said firing pin rearwardly away from a nose portion of said projectile,

a setback sleeve slidably mounted for rearward movement to compress said spring against a flange on said firing pin,

a wedge normally in the rearward path of said firing pin flange and movable radially outwardly by centrifugal force away from said path, a rear camming surface on said wedge,

a cylinder positioned rearwardly of said wedge and having an opening in its rearward portion and a piston slidably mounted in its forward portion and positioned against said camming surface, said piston being moved rearwardly in response to radially outward movement of said wedge,

3 4 piston retarding means in the rearward portion of said References Cited cylmder UNITED STATES PATENTS means normally closing sa1d openmg and responslve to a set-back force to move to an open position for 859,590 7/1907 zlegfmfuss 10280 meteringly releasing said retarding means from said r 2,116,820 5/ 1938 Blrklgt 10279 cylinder. 0 2,790,390 4/1957 Baker 10271 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said retarding 2,896,540 7/1959 Voland 102--82X means is in the form of glass beads. 3,075,465 1/1963 Craig 102-80 X 3. The structure of claim 1 in which said normally FOREIGN PATENTS closing means is a C-shaped spring. 10

4. The arrangement in accordance with claim 2 Where- 838,786 3/1939 Francein an impact crushin nose cap normally engages a for- I ward portion of said sleeve and is adjacent but longitudi- BENJAMIN BORCHELT Exammer nally spaced from a forward portion of said firing pin. GERALD H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

